Nothing seems to be as controversial about us as our religious status. Whenever and wherever I speak I'm confronted and questioned about the same issues: "I heard you're a church" and "why are you a church?" and "do we have to join your church?" and on and on.

Let me try to clarify this once and for all. No more speculation. This is from the horse's mouth.

We are a church. As such, we are protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. (I don't know how that applies to the laws of other countries.)

We are a church primarily because our technology is used to help people (and animals) heal themselves. We believe our technology is a spiritual technology because it is impossible to separate healing and spirituality. Further more our technology helps you heal yourself by helping you elevate your consciousness. We believe that consciousness, spirituality and healing are, and have always been, inseparable. The fact that consciousness is elevated with the assistance of external help from a person (healer, guru, etc.) or a tool (prayer wheel, candle, beads, inspirational tape, etc.) is irrelevant and does not alter the fact that healing by elevating consciousness is a spiritual act. If, in your culture, you prefer to call us a church, temple, sanctuary, mosque or convergence is up to you. All of these names are acceptable to us and none of them alter our fundamental purpose: helping you heal yourself.

Now, before you mutter incantations or run for you life, let me tell you how we are not a traditional church:

First, we don't have any geographically specific church services. Our technology is holographic, and as such, is not constrained by space, time or distance. In other words, you must heal yourself wherever you are, everywhere and anywhere ... in the U.S. the U.K. or in orbit. You can see how it would be difficult to pick an appropriate specific location. I can't say it too often: the hologram is everywhere and everything.

Second, we do not have any rituals or dogma (we do have doctrine, but I'll talk about that later). We hope you understand that we respect the rituals of other religions. They are symbols of their faith and their spirituality, but we don't subscribe to those rituals. For example, we don't care whether your head is uncovered or enclosed in a sack. It's your choice. We have no interest in whatever you do to your genital organs (don't ask, don't tell, don't peek). It is of no interest to us if you work on Saturday, Sunday or perpetually.

Third, we don't believe we have the right to intrude in your personal life. How much money you make, and what you do with it, if, and how, your children are educated ... these matters are simply none of our business.

Fourth, we neither encourage you to join our church nor suggest you abandon your current religious affiliation and activities. In fact, quite the contrary. The AIM Program is available to everyone regardless of their spiritual or religious affiliation. Healing is not proprietary to any church, religion or doctrine. You need not be a member of any particular church to heal yourself. In my opinion, if you are receiving spiritual comfort from anyone or anything, you'd be a fool to give it up. These days we all need every bit of spiritual help we can get ... and then some. While we believe the essence of spirituality is truly holographic, we certainly recognize the value of the spiritual bonding that often occurs in a particular community.

If you recall, I said we do have doctrine. I believe that the fundamental principle of that doctrine is responsibility. We believe that, ultimately, the deepest levels of healing are impossible without one taking personal responsibility for the events, actions, and circumstances that cause that need for healing. Whatever about you that needs to be healed did not occur randomly or independently of you. It is our individual responsibility to confront the reasons and the issues which have created us. Both past and present. both individually and collectively. Whether you call it karma or interconnection, you cannot transcend the circumstances that bind you to negativity until you take responsibility for your role in having created those circumstances. We understand that responsibility is not just personal, but collective. It may be national even global, but for you it all begins with you. We would, if we had our druthers, begin with the hundredth monkey and let the other ninety nine wander in on their own time. Unfortunately, our temple of consciousness requires a foundation.